Sirius Black's Forgotten Love
by HP-Forever-XX
Summary: This is the story of the relationship between Sirius Black and a girl I created named Katereen Felis, during their 7th year at Hogwarts. It also contains the other marauders and a bit of Jily. It bounces back and forth between the present, which is Harry, Lupin and Sirius at no. 12 Grimmauld Place and a flashback of 1976/1977 at Hogwarts. All reviews are welcome.
1. The Forgotten Girl

_**Chapter 1 - No. 12 Grimmauld Place, August 1995**_

Harry noticed a dust-coated photograph lying on the floor by Sirius's bed. Intrigued, he picked it up and wiped away the layer of dust with his thumb. The picture was of a young girl, slightly older than himself. She was pretty and had a huge grin of her face, emphasising the dimples in her cheeks. Masses of blonde corkscrew curls tumbled down past her shoulders and even her eyes gleamed with happiness. Although it was a little faded, Harry could make out a Hogwarts uniform, adorned with a scarlet and gold emblem on the front – the logo of Gryffindor.

Curiously, he traipsed down to the dining room where Sirius, Lupin and Tonks were gathered round one end of the table sipping cups of tea and apparently talking about muggle transportation. Mr Weasley was sat at the other end, with a very serious look on his face whilst browsing through the daily prophet. As Harry entered the room, Tonks finished telling Lupin and Sirius about the time she accidentally bewitched a bicycle to grow wings during the 'Tour De France' and beamed at Harry, standing up to give him a friendly punch on the arm. "Wotcher Harry! Keep my seat warm will you?" she said cheerily before striding out of the room. Before Harry could take another step, he heard the distinct crash of her knocking over the troll leg umbrella stand, and Mrs Weasley tutting under her breath and hurrying out of the kitchen to help her up. Sirius and Lupin both looked up at Harry and smiled cheerfully.

"Good morning Harry. Are you alright? You look a little puzzled." Lupin said politely. Harry sat in Tonks' empty seat next to Sirius. "No, I'm fine. It's just I found this photo in Sirius' room when I was looking for Kreacher. I was just wondering who she was – she was in Gryffindor", Harry said, handing the photograph over to Sirius. For a moment both men stared at the girl in the photo with curious expressions and then Lupin let out a little chuckle, looking back at Harry. Sirius continued to watch the girl in the photo smile, whilst his own mouth twitched into a reminiscent grin.

"Believe it or not, Sirius asked that girl to marry him!" Lupin told Harry, looking rather amused. Harry was shocked.

"You're joking right!" Sirius had always seemed so independent and far too much of a rebel to ever settle down with a girl. He knew he'd been quite popular and handsome at school, but he'd never pictured him as a husband!

At this remark, Sirius dragged his eyes away from the photo and placed it on the table gently. "It's true. 7th Year at Hogwarts, 1977..."

"But, how come you never mentioned her before!" Harry asked, almost slightly betrayed that his godfather had kept such information hidden from him.

Sirius looked apologetic. "To tell you the truth Harry, I forgot. She turned me down and was sent to Azkaban due to some mix up and a crime she was unfortunately accountable for, and with James and Lily being so happy and getting married, I had to let her go. And then of course there was the horrible event at Godric's hollow and with all the confusion with Wormtail, and me getting sent to Azkaban myself, Katereen Felis just sought of, slipped out of my mind."

"Katereen Felis?" asked Harry, obviously assuming this was the name of the Gryffindor girl in the photo.

"Katereen Felis." Lupin confirmed, nodding to himself whilst remembering this forgotten girl, from 1977.

"So, what happened? Why did she turn you down and go to Azkaban? Was she friends with my mother?" Harry said gushing questions. But before either Sirius or Lupin could answer any of these questions, Harry leant forward eagerly in his chair and said, "I want to know everything."


	2. Shocking News

_**Chapter 2 - Hogwarts Great Hall, December 12**__**th**__**1976**_

James Potter hurtled into the hall at top speed, before slamming his hands onto the Gryffindor table where three bewildered boys sat.

"Blimey James, slow down and tell us where you've been. You completely missed Marigold Jenkins cough up a pile of worms after some Slytherin twit, hexed her. It was hilarious mate!" a very young and handsome, Sirius Black informed him. James was panting, clearly having run a long distance and smiled at them all, as though he'd just been given a thousand galleons for doing absolutely nothing.

"Guess, who's taking Lily Evans on a date!" he yelled, clearly delighted. Remus Lupin stared at him in shock.

"Are you serious?" he asked, unsure whether this was a joke or not.

"Nope, he's Sirius" James replied indicating to Sirius, whilst Remus rolled his eyes and Peter Pettigrew frantically tried to figure out the joke. "I'm James Potter" he continued. "Future boyfriend of the beauty that is Lily Evans"

Sirius stood up roaring with laughter, and slapped James on the back firmly. "Prongs, that's fantastic!" he bellowed, whilst across the room, a greasy haired, hooked nose, Slytherin boy was scowling in rage at this rather loud piece of information. "How'd you do it? Did you confound her?" he teased as the two boys sat down and began to talk in much more reasonable voices.

"Of course not! I just turned on the charm and she couldn't resist my stunning good looks and witty conversational skills" he boasted.

Remus rolled his eyes again. "Unbelievable" he sighed.

"Hey! Been trying long enough haven't I?" he pointed out. "So here's the deal. The weekend before Christmas, I'm ditching you lot and taking her for a tour of the grounds on my broom!" he said approvingly of his plan.

"I'm sure it will be the thrill of her life" Remus said doubtfully. Sirius glared at him in a joking way, much more impressed with James' idea.

"Well of course it will be! I'm practically the star of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. And I'm head boy. All the girls would go crazy for this opportunity" he said with a smug expression.

Remus was about to contradict him, when a group of girls from the year below that were huddled down the table from them, started giggling and flicking their hair at him. James looked bemused and flattered and gave Remus an "I told you so" look. He just rolled his eyes again and continued to read the text book he'd started on before James had burst in. Peter, who hadn't spoken a word so far, looked absolutely delighted that James had a date with Lily.

"You'll be the first one of us to have a girlfriend!" he piped up, excitedly.

"Sure will" James replied arrogantly. "Unless one of you guys plucks up some masculinity and gets there first." Peter looked horrified at the idea of having a girlfriend; he barely even talked to girls unless it was compulsory in class. He left that sort of thing to James and Sirius.

Sirius looked almost hurt. "Hey watch out James, or I might just challenge you there" he said punching his arm in a brotherly fashion.

"Oh yeah? And what lucky girl is gonna become Mrs Sirius Black then? How about Marigold Jenkins, the worm vomiter?" he taunted. Sirius scowled and punched him slightly harder. James continued to laugh at the prospect of Sirius having a girlfriend. "Have you forgotten that you're kinda homeless mate? Or that your parents disinherited you and you're broke?"

Remus glared at James and slammed the book shut. "That's enough James. Leave him alone and just go back to boasting about Lily or something."

Noticing the miserable look on his best friend's face, he promptly shut up and instead started on Remus. "Alright Moony, you up for it then? Wormtail looks horrified at the idea of talking to a girl so it's up to you mate" he said with a smirk.

Remus continued to glare at him. "You know full well that I can't have a girlfriend, what with my _condition_. It would put her too much at risk and besides, nobody would want to be with me when they realise I'm a monster." James looked sympathetic and guilty for having let his excitement about Lily and his arrogance get out of hand. "And anyway, having a girlfriend isn't a competition. Girls are humans too and if Lily hears the way you talk about her as though she's a prize, she'll hex you so bad that _you'll_ be vomiting worms for weeks" he warned.

James laughed at this and the guilt continued to build up in him. "I know, I'm sorry Moony. I just can't believe that after all these years, I've managed to convince Lily Evans to go a date with me. I'm not gonna screw this up" he vowed determinedly.

Remus smiled at him respectfully and Peter was in awe. Sirius began to perk up and slapped James on the shoulder. "You know I wasn't joking about getting a girlfriend." At this comment, all three boys looked up at him in wonder. Not once had Sirius shown any interest in having a girlfriend. He'd always been far more interested in causing havoc with James.

James looked the most shocked. "What, like, really?" he questioned. Sirius nodded. "Who?" James demanded.

Sirius didn't reply. In fact, he felt a bit embarrassed. He'd never told anybody before, not even his friends, about the way he'd been feeling recently. His eyes flickered towards the opposite end of the Gryffindor table, from where the marauders were sat, and rested upon a cheery young girl in her 7th year, the same as them. She was very pretty, with masses of blonde corkscrew curls tumbling down past her shoulders, and a huge grin on her face that emphasised the dimples in her cheeks. She was chatting to two other girls, presumably her friends, unleashing a very infectious laugh that seemed to make Sirius feel warmer inside, although the temperature was below freezing outside the castle. James followed his gaze and his eyes widened when he realised who Sirius was staring at. "Kat Felis? One of the Gryffindor chasers?" he asked, confused. Sirius didn't reply, he just stared desirably down the table.

"Sirius, you do realise she has a boyfriend, don't you? And not just any boyfriend... The Hufflepuff beater, Nero Buckley. He'll beat you to a pulp with his bat if he realises you're out to get her" Remus notified him seriously.

"I like a challenge" Sirius said in response, bringing his attention back to his friends. They all sat there in silence, until Peter disrupted the awkwardness.

"It makes sense doesn't it – the dog chasing the 'Kat'" he piped up. This actually all made them chuckle, especially James, who looked very impressed.

"Well done Wormtail! Keep it up and you'll almost be as funny and witty as me!" James said approvingly. Peter beamed with pride, thrilled to have made a worthy remark.

At the back of the great hall, two girls had just walked in and were making their way towards the end of the Gryffindor table where Katereen Felis sat. One was a rather dull, plain girl with a bored expression and straight, lifeless hair in a mud coloured brown shade. The girl walking by her side was the complete opposite. She had vibrant, red hair, a spring in her step, and a joyful grin plastered to her face. They walked past the four boys, and the redhead flashed one of them, a flirtatious smile.

"Unbelievable" Remus sighed, as Sirius and Peter gawked at James, the truth finally sinking in. "Here we go" he grumbled, reopening the textbook, as James Potter winked at Lily Evans.


	3. The First Encounter

_**Chapter 3 - Gryffindor Common Room, December 20**__**th**__** 1976**_

"Ok, man, this is it" Sirius told a nervous James. James was sat in an armchair by the fire, in the Gryffindor common room, whilst Sirius was stood behind him, massaging his shoulders and psyching him up, as though it was the Quidditch cup final. "You are _the_ greatest Gryffindor Quidditch chaser that the world has ever seen. You're gonna take Lily Evans out, you're gonna impress her with your charming wit and you're mad flying ability, and she's gonna fall in love with you and you'll get married and stuff" he reassured him, almost as nervous as he was. James leapt to his feet with a triumphant roar.

"I am the greatest! And Lily Evans will fall in love with me!" he declared. Sirius slapped him on the back.

"Alright mate, don't get too pompous" he said seriously, before they both burst into laughter. "Ok, she'll be down here any minute, so get out of here, go get your broom and she'll meet you by the lake, alright?" James nodded, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. "Ok, go get her Prongs!" he said with one last slap on the back, sending James hurtling towards the door screaming "I am the greatest!" with as much energy as he could muster. Sirius watched him go, full of pride and settled into the armchair, gazing at the dying embers of the fire. About two minutes later, a large group of Seventh year girls, bustled down the stairs from the girl's dorm, giving a similar pep talk to the one Sirius had just given James, to a determined looking, redhead.

"Just be yourself, that's all he can ask for and he'll fall in love with you for sure!" one girl assured.

"Yeah, Lily, you're such a nice, sweet person, he's bound to like you. And you're sooo pretty as well" another girl added.

This went on for a few moments, with all the girls completely oblivious to Sirius, who was listening, bemused, a few feet away. Eventually, Lily stepped away from the huddle and said, almost to herself, "Ok, I can do this. I can do this. Deep breaths Lily, and go find James." With a final smile to her girlfriends and many more reassurances from them all, she too hurried out the door, where James had left minutes before. They all rushed back upstairs, giggling and chatting happily.

Sirius jumped at the sound of a female voice, thinking he had been left alone in the common room. "James Potter and Lily Evans... Who would've thought?" Kat purred from the other side of the room.

"Kat?" Sirius said in surprise, turning to see her stood with her arms folded tightly across her chest. She grinned mischievously.

"I always thought she'd end up with that Snape kid, the way he used to follow her around. He's kinda creepy... I'm glad he stalked her and not me" she said, a little harshly. It made Sirius laugh though.

"Old Snivelly?" he laughed. "Oh, he's never going to get a girlfriend. Nobody's ever going to fall in love with that disgusting slime ball!" Kat chuckled, revealing her dimples, and came to perch on the arm of the arm chair that Sirius was sat on. He was very confused. Being in the same year, and house, he and Kat shared a lot of classes together and saw each other daily but, they'd never really become friends, or bonded in any way at all. Not even like the love-hate relationship that James and Lily had shared since the first day they'd met. So why was she here now, laughing with him as though they were best friends.

Almost as though she could read his mind, she answered his question. "They're all waffling on about Lily Evans' big date with James Potter" she scoffed scornfully. "It's kinda irritating, so congrats, you're my entertainment for the evening."

Happiness welled inside him. "Don't you like Lily then?" he asked curiously.

She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Not really. She's too squeaky clean – what with doing her homework all the time, being a swot in every single class and being the ultimate desire of James Potter, supposedly the most popular boy in school. Oh, and she's head girl." She stared at the dying fire, deep in thought. "Not that I would want to be head girl, or a teacher's pet, or James' girlfriend, or the most popular girl in school... But she's like a constant energy source that drains my happiness when I'm around her" she confessed.

"Well I'll tell you something. Lily Evans isn't nearly as pretty as you" he told her flirtatiously. If James could entice Lily, then he could entice Kat, just as easily or even easier, he thought. She blushed deeply.

"So where are your friends?" she asked, changing the subject quickly.

"Let me see, Remus is studying, Peter's probably amusing himself with a bit of string and James is out on a date with some redheaded chick." He couldn't help but feel that he and Kat were meant to be together. They were chatting so freely, and getting on really well. Was it too early to say he was in love, he wondered as his heart picked up an irregular rhythm.

"I don't really have many friends as such. Most of the girls prefer Lily, they're like a pride of lions, and she's their leader. I'm more of a wildcat kind of girl. I walk the path of a loner; I prefer solitude and independence. I have Nero at least... but he's gone home for Christmas" she remembered.

Sirius was bought back to reality with a stabbing feeling in his chest. "Nero's kind of an idiot, you know. He's like a troll – he has a brain the size of a pea and he relies on brute strength. And he smells... And he's ugly..." Sirius said, releasing his rage. He couldn't understand what Kat saw in him.

She didn't look as angry as he thought she would. In fact, she looked kind of amused. "Nero isn't a ray of sunshine, I'll give you that. But he's misunderstood, and he's my boyfriend, so watch it" she threatened. "He's stable, and loyal, and everything a good boyfriend should be." Sirius couldn't help but feel like she was convincing herself more than she was trying to convince him. "And when the time is right, I'll marry him" she said barely more than a whisper.

Sirius sat up, startled. "Marry him?" he spat. "What makes you think you're going to marry him? You could do a lot better" he shouted at her. She just watched him, waiting for him to finish his rant before she would speak. "I'm not saying _me, _I'm just saying that anybody is better that Brutal Buckley! How could anybody, especially someone like you, love him?" he demanded.

When Kat spoke, she said it in a cool voice, not wanting to get into an argument. "I don't believe in love so it doesn't matter whom I marry. Nero is an ideal husband, according to my parents and our marriage has been arranged in advance so that is how I know I'm going to marry him. And before you object, I wouldn't have it any other way. He provides me with stability, and protection, something you seem to lack, therefore you can't criticise him."

Sirius rolled his eyes, muttering darkly. "That's messed up you know. Have you ever thought of disobeying your family and doing something because you want to do it?" he demanded.

"How do you know I don't want this as well?" she replied calmly.

"Who would want this?" he retaliated. "I disobeyed my parents and it was the greatest thing I've done. Sure, I now have no family, but I have freedom. Freedom to do what I want and go where I want, with nobody to tell me I can't"

She fell silent, staring into the remains of the fire, unblinking. "Freedom" she murmured softly, considering the possibilities that this word allowed. "If I had it my way, I would live like you Sirius" she confessed bluntly.

"Then why not do it?" he scoffed aggressively, angry with the news of her imprisonment to Nero.

"Maybe, some day I will, but for now I'm going to bed." She slid down from the arm of the chair and turned to go upstairs.

"It's only 8 o' clock" he reminded her, grumpily. She walked back over to him and slid her hand into his, tugging him to his feet.

"Well, you could use some sleep by the sounds of it" she said affectionately. He allowed her to drag him towards the stairs to the girl's dorm and for a brief moment, thought she was going to lead him upstairs. But once they reached the foot of the staircase, she released her grip and stared into his eyes. Her own eyes were a vivid green, and shaped like almonds, similar to Lily Evans. But hers had a much more feline look about them – they were cat's eyes. "Goodnight Sirius" she whispered softly before kissing his cheek gently. He felt a curl of hair brush his face, tickling him. And then she was gone, pouncing up the stairs, her curls bobbing merrily. She paused at the top and flashed him a mischievous grin. Then in the blink of an eye, she entered the dorm and Sirius was left by himself, gazing up at the spot where she'd last been, longing for a girl who was betrothed to another.


	4. Back At No 12

_**Chapter 4 - No. 12 Grimmauld Place, August 1995**_

"Kat didn't like my mother?" Harry asked Sirius disapprovingly, once Sirius had finished telling him the first part of the story.

"Don't worry Harry" Sirius assured him. "Once James and Lily started dating officially, I convinced James to convince Lily to convince Kat that I was much better for her than Nero Buckley was. And the two girls eventually became friends. There wasn't a soul in the school that couldn't possibly like your mother" he promised. Harry felt much more reassured with this information.

"So _was_ she convinced?" Harry asked eagerly. Lupin burst into laughter next to Sirius, whilst Sirius nudged him in the ribs in an attempt to shut him up. Harry raised an eyebrow questioningly at the two of them.

"Let's just say it took a lot of convincing from all of us before Kat began to even consider the possibility of dating Sirius" Lupin managed to tell him in between laughing.

"Oh, do shut up Moony! It didn't take _that much _convincing. She was madly in love with me from the moment we spent that evening together in the Gryffindor common room" Sirius said jokingly.

As the two men laughed together, Harry couldn't help but join in – it was infectious. He still couldn't believe that Sirius was ever considering settling down enough to have a girlfriend. He didn't want to interrupt the laughter, but he was keen to hear the rest of the story. "So what happened next?"


	5. Nicknames

_**Chapter 5 - Hogwarts corridor, April 4**__**th**__** 1977**_

As Sirius rushed through the corridor in search of James, he noticed Kat coming from the other direction and his face lit up immediately. Things had been going great between them since the encounter in the common room last December. In those months they'd been pairing up during classes, studying together at weekends and even sneaking out to the grounds on odd occasions. Things were a lot different now that James' date with Lily had gone extremely well and they'd become a couple. He had been spending less time with the marauders and a lot more time with Lily, otherwise it was as if she'd become a fifth member to their gang. Lily was a nice girl, and great to have around, but it made Sirius yearn for a girlfriend of his own even more and the he always seemed to crave the company of Katereen Felis. So he pulled her to the side as she passed, startling her. She narrowed her eyes. "What now Sirius?" she demanded.

That was the thing with Kat. Her mood changed so frequently. Sometimes she looked thrilled to see him, but others she glared at him as if she wanted him dead. It was extremely infuriating. Right now it seemed as if the latter were true.

"Hey lucky" he beamed at her, determined to change her attitude. She narrowed her eyes at him once again.

"Lucky?" she asked a little inquisitively, but mostly aggressively.

Pride swelled in Sirius' chest. It had taken him a while to think up this nickname for her and he thought if they had cute nicknames for each other, it would make their relationship seem a bit more personal and progressive.

"Felix Felicis" he explained. "The potion that brings people luck... Felicis... _Felis..._ Katereen _Felis_..." he trailed off, not sure if she understood, or if it had just been an embarrassing and un-witty mistake. After an awkward pause, she smiled approvingly.

"Not bad _tramp_" she replied.

"Tramp?" he asked a little confused.

"You're homeless, you have no family and you have no money... You're a tramp... Just like one of those muggles" she told him a little harshly.

"I thought you wanted to live the way I do?" he reminded her. She scowled at this truthful piece of information.

"I was joking" she lied. Sirius noticed the twinkle in her eyes that told him she wasn't joking. "And I was joking about _that_ as well" she continued. "We don't have nicknames for each other. I am Kat and you are Sirius." And with a flick of her curly blonde hair, she turned on her heel and continued in the direction she'd been going.

"Whatever you say" Sirius called to her retreating figure. "Good luck in the Quidditch match today, _Lucky_." He watched her go and felt sure that when she didn't react and pretended to ignore him, she was smiling a secret little smile all to herself.


	6. Secrets Revealed

_**Chapter 6 - Hogwarts Grounds, April 4**__**th**__** 1977**_

Kat pulled her lips away from Sirius' immediately, shocked by what she'd just done. She took a step backwards, taking in his equally shocked expression. Had she really just kissed Sirius Black? No, this couldn't be happening. He was a trouble maker, a heart breaker, just a poor, homeless boy with no family. He was nothing to her, or so she kept trying to convince herself. She, on the other hand, was a very well respected young lady, with reasonably wealthy, pureblood parents and she was loyal to her boyfriend... her future husband. So why wasn't she celebrating her Quidditch win with him? She supposed the reason that her team had just defeated his in the game was an acceptable reason. But there was no acceptable reason to be kissing Sirius Black.

She desperately searched her mind, trying to remember the events that had lead up to this moment. She'd been playing Quidditch the best she'd ever done. In fact, the whole team seemed to be on top form. Even James Potter and his big head were focused entirely on the game, although this was probably just a tactic to impress his now girlfriend, Lily Evans. Perhaps it had been the way that Nero had glared at her every time she scored which made the selfish demon in her desperate to crush him in the game. Or maybe it was the way she found herself continuously glancing into the Gryffindor stands at a scruffy, handsome boy with long black hair. Whoever she was fighting for or against, they had won. Nero hadn't taken it well though, thrusting his broomstick at the ground with all his might and storming off to the changing rooms. Sirius, on the other hand had taken it very well. After having a good laugh at Nero, he'd whisked Kat off on a stroll around the grounds. She remembered them talking for hours, laughing together. There had been nothing weird about it; they had been having a perfectly civilised conversation, just as friends should. But then she recalled the odd sensations she felt in her stomach, the desperate need to taste his lips on her own. She groaned internally.

She began to back away, pointing a finger at him in warning. "This doesn't change anything" she bellowed. He walked over to her swiftly and twined a strand of her hair around his finger.

"Of course it does" he murmured softly, dying to kiss her again. She slapped his hand away and he broke out of his trance. She ignored him and strutted off back in the direction of the castle. He caught up with her and grabbed her arm, causing her to spin round. She had an expression like thunder.

"Let me go" she hissed, tugging away from him. Sirius held her arm tighter.

"I'm not letting you go until you admit you're in love with me" he threatened. She stopped struggling so much but glared at him to make up for it.

"I will do no such thing!" she shrieked hysterically. "I told you I don't believe in love. The closest thing I have to love is with Nero, not you!"

He looked hurt, but determination was set in his eyes. "Then why did you kiss me?" he challenged. "And why are you running away from your feelings?"

"I am not running away from my feelings – I am running away from the maniac that's trying to rip my arm off" she shouted in response. "And it was a momentary lapse, I was still excited about winning" she confessed.

"That's a lie and you know it" he said angrily. Kat didn't respond, lost for words, unable to think of a suitable comeback. "You're in love with me" he said fighting back tears. "But you're afraid, afraid of what your family will think and afraid of what will happen if you admit it. But if you don't tell anybody, then at least tell me. You don't have to be so bloody stubborn all the time" he said through gritted teeth.

"She snatched her arm out of his clutches. "I will never, _never_, love you Sirius Black!" she growled as tears rolled from her vividly green eyes. She began to run back to the castle leaving Sirius stranded in the empty grounds. She never looked back until the last moment, where she skidded to a halt and turned to check if he was following or not. But Sirius Black was nowhere to be seen. The only living creature was a large black dog which was walking sulkily in the opposite direction. Her eyes widened as she watched the dog. They way its long black fur hung messily around its body reminded her of a boy she knew. A boy she loved but was too afraid to admit it, even to herself sometimes. The dog turned its head and froze upon seeing her. She walked towards it slowly, never considering why there would be a large black dog in the grounds of Hogwarts. She knelt down by its side and stared into its deep black eyes. It looked slightly startled but sympathetic and its gaze comforted her. Kat began talking to it, confessing all her hopes and dreams, knowing it couldn't understand a word she was saying. But something about the way it sat next to her with its ears pricked up and its head cocked made her feel like the beast could understand her.

"What I want most is freedom. To be free to fly and break through the chains that bind me" she whispered softly, staring out into the sunset. They were basked in a peaceful, warm orange glow. Kat turned to the dog and burst into tears, burying her head into its long tangled fur, clutching it tightly as she sobbed. She felt the beast move beneath her and rose to her feet, with her hands locked into its fur.

She was no longer holding the dog. Instead she was gripping the arms of a man, who was embracing her tightly and holding her closely. She continued to cry into his shoulder, dampening his clothes, as he stroked her hair soothingly.

"I knew it was you" she gulped, staring up into the sympathetic eyes of Sirius Black. "You're such a _dog_" she accused affectionately.

"I have a perfectly reasonable explanation" he began, preparing to tell her everything about the marauders and Remus' secret. But she shook her head, releasing him.

"I don't need to hear" she told him before taking a few paces backwards. She gave him a mischievous smile, and jumped into the air. However, the feet that touched the ground were not Katereen Felis', they were the padded paws of a sleek black cat.


	7. All Will Be Revealed

_**Chapter 7 - No. 12 Grimmauld Place, August 1995**_

"Kat was an animagus?" Harry asked, gawping at the unexpected twist in Sirius' story. Lupin laughed at Harry's expression, whilst Sirius smiled and nodded his head.

"We spent the entire night outside talking about being animagi. Well, the whole night until we got caught by Filch and were given detention the next day. But anyway, I suppose I should have seen it coming really – she was exceptional at transfiguration."

"So when did you ask her to marry you?" Harry asked, eager to hear the rest of the story.

Sirius was lost in thought for a moment. "Approximately 2 months after that day" he replied. "And during those two months we frequently snuck out into the grounds in our animagi forms at night" he told him fondly.

"She even came to the shrieking shack with us once during the full moon" Lupin added. "Scared her senseless though" he said with a disapproving look.

"Well, we're nearly at the end of this story" Sirius continued. "But there's one more day you need to hear about. The day everything went wrong..."


	8. The Plan

_**Chapter 8 - Hogwarts Great Hall, 18**__**th**__** June 1977**_

"Hey Lucky" Sirius said with a wink as Kat came and sat next to him for breakfast. She rolled her eyes at him but didn't object.

"Sat all by yourself eh?" she teased, with a grin.

"James, Lily, Peter and Remus have gone to ask Professor McGonagall about some homework thing" he said with a shrug.

"All of them together?" she asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow. Sirius assured her this was true, trying to avoid the truth from slipping out, which was actually that they had gone to confund Nero so that Sirius could be alone with her. He hadn't told them why exactly but he begged them, saying it was important that he and Kat were uninterrupted by her boyfriend for the day. James, Peter and Remus (although slightly hesitantly) had been up for it. Lily had been the problem. At first she had wildly objected and threatened to tell Professor McGonagall, but after a lot of convincing and pleading from Sirius and James, she had agreed to go along, claiming that she was only going to assure they performed the charm correctly and didn't end up putting him in St Mungo's.

"Eggs?" he offered, motioning to a plate of fried eggs, sunny side up. She agreed and they spent the morning chatting in the same friendly way they had been so often.

"It's a beautiful day today" she told him, acknowledging the way the early sunlight was streaming through the huge glass windows, making the plates and goblets gleam. He agreed, thinking to himself that there was no better day to do what he was going to do.

A few moments later, Lily walked into the hall looking sulky and ashamed, closely followed by the three marauders who were all grinning proudly, James in particular.

"Morning Kat. Sirius" James said nodding at the two as the four of them sat on the opposite side of the table. Sirius gave him a high five.

Kat looked at them all suspiciously. "I don't know what you're up to, but I don't have time right now to figure out what it is" she said with narrowed eyes. She stood up from the table as James and Sirius tried to suppress their unsubtle giggles. "See you later Lily" she said with a genuine smile at the girl she'd once despised. "Bye Sirius" she said with a wink.

"What a little minx" James told Sirius approvingly, once Kat had left the hall. Lily glared at him. "Don't sulk my darling Lily angel" he said in a mocking, sickly tone. That's when the first fried egg splattered straight onto his unsuspecting face. He peeled it off, laughing approvingly and cleaned his glasses with a nearby napkin. "You're a feisty one, Lily Evans. Just like your fiery hair." This time he dodged the egg as it whizzed by, narrowly missing his ear.

"Are you going to tell us why we just confounded the most brutal thug in the school any time soon" Lily demanded Sirius aggressively.

The marauders leaned in eagerly. "I'm going to ask Kat to marry me" he told them with a satisfied grin. He was met with four absolutely stunned expressions. As the news sunk in, Lily was the first to speak, naturally pointing out all the things wrong with this. "Are you completely insane!" she accused. "She's never going to say yes! She's so convinced it's her duty to marry Nero and he'll kill you when he finds out! You're only 18 and you have no way of supporting her – no money, no house – " she listed the ways, but Sirius zoned out and instead looked at his three best friends for responses.

"Are you sure?" Peter asked looking petrified at the thought of getting married. Remus joined in. "I agree Sirius, are you sure you've thought this through? We can all tell that Kat's into you, but she's so stubborn and she'll never admit it" he informed him, looking particularly wise.

"This is the only way I can convince her to leave Nero." Sirius told them. "It's not for me. It's for her. She wants freedom more than anything else and the only way she's going to be convinced to not marry him, is if someone else offers. Once she says yes – "

_"If_ she says yes" Remus interrupted.

" – Then We'll run away somewhere, I don't know. Even if it means I have to let her go, then I want her to be happy and be able to do what she wants, not what she's expected to do."

"That would be very touching" Lily told him looking dazed, "if Kat was the kind of girl that would see that, but I know her well Sirius, and I don't think she'll be convinced" she said truthfully.

"Well, even if none of you support me, I'm going to try... For her" Sirius said in a heroic way.

James was the only one not to have spoken since Sirius dropped the bombshell. He seemed to be mulling it over in his head, deciding whether he was for or against Sirius' plan. With a smile to his best friend, he clapped him on the shoulder.

"I say go for it mate" he yelled enthusiastically. "I'm behind you on this" he promised. Sirius beamed, knowing he could always count on James in times like this. After a slight hesitation, Remus too, smiled at Sirius. "Alright, me too" he confirmed. Following the others, Peter also pledged his allegiance to Sirius. They were now all staring at Lily. She had her arms folded tightly across her chest, and a stony expression on her face. With a sigh and a lot of eye rolling she gave in.

"Fine! I'll support you on this, so I didn't just confund another student for no reason. And also for Kat." After a moment of silence she added "And also for you" to Sirius with an irritated expression.

"And also for me" James piped up. "Because you love me." This time the egg hit him squarely in the face.


	9. A Disastrous Proposal

_**Chapter 9 – Later That Day**_

Sirius was pacing up and down anxiously whilst James, Lily, Remus and Peter sat at the Gryffindor table, bored out of their minds. It was now lunch time. "She'll be here any minute now" he told himself. "Just stay calm and turn on the charm" he said reassuringly.

By then, practically the whole house of Gryffindor knew that Sirius was going to propose to Kat. Everybody in the hall was waiting patiently for her arrival, whispering excitedly to each other.

Suddenly she was there. Kat burst into the great hall running at top speed towards Sirius. Tears were streaming down her face and Sirius caught her as she collided with him, trying to regain her balance. She was shaking uncontrollably. Everybody gasped, eavesdropping intently. Lily and the marauders sat up, hearts thumping for what was about to happen.

Sirius hadn't expected this at all. "Kat?" he asked nervously, shaking her gently. "Kat what's wrong? What's happened" he demanded urgently. Kat would never cry so openly in such a public place, in front of the whole school, unless something was very, very wrong.

"He's coming" she gulped. "He's coming" she repeated.

"Who? Who's coming?" Sirius was getting very scared now.

"It wore off. He knows. _He knows!_ And he's gonna kill you – He says he's going to kill you!" she shrieked.

Suddenly understanding what was happening, Sirius whipped out his wand ready for battle. "Kat, he won't kill me – I won't let him. But I need to know, I need to ask you something. It's really important" he said preparing to ask her.

"He's going to kill you" she sobbed uncontrollably. He shook her harder, trying to get her attention back on him.

"Kat listen to me please. Will you... Will you marry me? I want you to marry me, instead of Nero. Kat..." The whole hall was in complete silence now, gawping at the show.

She looked wild with her curly hair sticking up at odd angles. She backed away slowly, shaking her head. "Are you insane!" she yelled. "I'm not going to marry you!"

"Kat please" he pleaded. She shook her head in denial, looking terrified of Sirius. "Not for me – for you. It's the only way you'll be free!" he begged in desperation.

But before, she could reply, a huge, brutal figure thundered into the hall, his eyes glinting with the desire to kill. "YOU!" he roared at Sirius, pointing his wand at him threateningly. And the duel began, Nero throwing curses at Sirius with such brute force that his aim was poorly off. Sirius had the advantage of agility and speed when it came to dodging and avoiding the spells. Nero was quick, but Sirius was quick enough to block these spells before they hit. Kat was stood by Nero's side screaming the whole time.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE" she shrieked, tugging at Nero's wand arm. He turned her rage on her now.

"STAY OUT OF THIS" he bellowed at her, towering over her head viciously. "You want to marry him then FINE! I hope you two live happily ever after" He strode towards her with his wand raised high, ready to strike. Sirius yelled a warning to her, desperately. "STUPEFY" Nero roared, sending a jet of red towards Kat. Using her feline agility, she grabbed a golden plate from the nearest table which acted as a shield. The spell rebounded off of the plate straight into Nero's livid face, at the same time as Kat swung it dramatically across his head. There was a sickening crunch as the collision of the spell and the plate with Nero's head sent him sprawling onto the floor, unconscious, his nose twisted at an odd angle with blood gushing out.

The whole hall was in uproar, with teachers flocking in from every direction screaming threats and warnings at the ascending students. Kat fell to her knees with her head in her hands. "What have I done?" she groaned repeatedly, whimpering on the floor. Sirius rushed over immediately to comfort her. "NO" she cried at him, slapping away his extended hands and standing up to face him properly. "This is enough Sirius! Just look what's happened to Nero" she said pointing to his still body with his mangled face. "LOOK AT HIM!" she screamed, her eyes wide.

"Kat, calm down - we'll get through this, together" he said in an attempt to calm her.

"NO! Don't you understand? There is no us – no together anymore. This was never what I wanted... Never what was supposed to happen. They'll send me to Azkaban. I'll be locked up for good, I'll go insane – It's what I deserve!" She was absolutely hysterical now, gasping for breath between every sentence.

"No Kat, I won't let them take you! You're only 18 and he's not even dead. They _can't_ take you. Come with me, and we'll run away together – you'll be free, I promise" he pleaded.

She just shook her head angrily. "You really don't get it do you? You seriously think that after all this, I would go anywhere with you? Everything's over now Sirius. I don't want to go with you. I'm going to Azkaban – it's where I belong, where I deserve to be! I'm over you now – I'm over everything now!" she declared manically.

"Kat listen to me" he demanded in one final attempt to make her see sense. "A girl like you won't last long in Azkaban. You'll go insane – you'll die! We can get away from this – from all of this. I love you"

She stared at him in disgust. "There. Is. No. Such. Thing. As. Love" she scorned through gritted teeth. "You're nothing to me now. In Azkaban I'll be as free as I've ever been. I'll be towering over your heads, at home in the clouds, with nobody to please, but myself" she growled with such a final edge to her voice, that nothing Sirius could possibly say, would change her mind. He stood there miserably, watching this insane girl – the girl that he was in love with – as the rain began to fall outside.


	10. Free At Last

_**Chapter 10 - No. 12 Grimmauld Place, August 1995**_

The three of them sat in stunned silence. Sirius leant back, concluding his story whilst Lupin was sympathetically reminiscing. "So did she really go to Azkaban?" Harry asked, breaking the silence. Lupin nodded.

"The combination of the rebounded stunning spell and the force of the plate smacking his head caused Nero Buckley to be severely mentally damaged. He was taken to St Mungo's immediately and died after a few weeks" Lupin explained. Harry looked shocked. "Although Kat was only 18, she was of age and was imprisoned for manslaughter of Nero. It didn't help that his father was high up in the ministry. I have a feeling that if it weren't for him, Kat would have been let off" he said with a slightly angry look about him.

"She completely blamed herself" Sirius added. "If she'd been let off she probably would have begged them to take her to Azkaban. In her eyes she was a criminal – a murderer" he said miserably. "She was in there for a few years, before I was sent to Azkaban. They let the prisoners read the daily prophet, so she most likely read about my crime and imprisonment. But Nero's father was appalled at the idea of us being so close after everything that had happened, not that we would've ever seen each other, so he ordered her immediate release." Harry listened, fascinated. "I never saw Katereen Felis again... although the first night in prison, I could've sworn I watched a black cat stalk past my cell, flashing its green eyes in my direction... Most likely just a shadow though" he grinned.

Lupin grasped Sirius' shoulder affectionately. "How did you cope with it?" Harry piped up. "I mean, right after she was taken away."

Sirius chuckled and took a sip of his tea. Lupin answered before he could. "Oh, he got over it. After a lot of time by himself and an unhealthy amount of fire whiskey, we finally convinced him to start talking again and come back to classes."

Sirius nodded in agreement. "I admit it was hard watching Lily and James be so happy together, but I was never going to be good boyfriend or husband material. All I needed was my friends and soon I was back to my mischievous ways, wreaking havoc with the help of your father" he smirked at the thought. The three of them laughed, happily.

After a long silence, Sirius finally spoke again. "I wonder what happened to Katereen Felis?"

_ At that exact moment, a caravan was hurtling along an old, dusty road directly into the sunset. Two horses were pulling the caravan, whipping past the trees and bushes that lined the road. At the front of the caravan stood a woman, with her eyes closed, feeling the wind on her face. She was pretty and had a huge grin of her face, emphasising the dimples in her cheeks. Masses of blonde corkscrew curls, tumbled down past her shoulders and once she opened them, even her eyes gleamed with happiness. She travelled alone in the wilderness, moving from one place to another every day, a sort of wizarding gypsy if you will. She often helps distressed witches or wizards she finds in her travels - letting them hitchhike and tag along, but most of the time she travels alone, like a wildcat, with no pride and no chains tying her to anybody. She never makes plans or agreements; she goes where the wind takes her – free at last._


End file.
